Greetings Neighbors,
Amid all the changes in our lives, some things remain constant and one of those is
our annual budget and public hearing time. This week the Board of Supervisors will
hear from you, our residents, as to what
budget priorities are important to you and your communities. As you know, the County Executive's
Revised Proposed FY 2021 Budget is very different from his original budget presented in February. While the original budget proposed a
strong and aggressive agenda supporting many of the Board's priorities including
affordable housing and school readiness, most of these initiatives necessitated his
proposed real estate tax rate increase and new admissions tax. The County Executive
no longer proposes these tax increases and as a result, many of the proposed
initiatives have now been removed from the revised budget. For the most part, only those initiatives
already underway or related to the COVID-19 response are included in the Proposed Revised FY 2021 Budget. For example, here in the Mount Vernon District, the original proposed budget included funding
to hired additional officers for the South County Police Station and Animal Shelter, scheduled to open in 2022. In the revised budget, this
funding is delayed to next year's budget cycle.
I will be looking to use our financial reserves to
respond to basic needs in our community, support
small businesses and non-profits to stay in business, purchase
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and increase our health department staffing. At the same time the County is facing a
greater need to fund services, we are also seeing a
decline in revenues, the extent of which we will not know for many more months.
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The budget public hearings will be
entirely electronic this year. As a result of my
advocacy over the past 5 years, or as the County Executive is now calling it "StorckVison", the County is well positioned to do this. This is
great news for Mount Vernon District residents! Instead of the usual 1 1/2 hour commute to the Government Center and then more time waiting your turn to speak, you can
provide testimony electronically in a number of ways, including
in writing, by phone and video. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns this year, we will
not have any in-person testimony.
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I encourage you to
get involved in the County budget process this year. Thank you for your
support and patience as we work to manage this challenging, complex and rapidly evolving situation.
We are all in this together.
Take care of yourselves, your family and neighbors, and
support our local businesses and
not-for-profit service providers. Look out for those who are
elderly or infirm in your neighborhoods and
let our office know if there are ways you or your neighbors need help. Read the
latest COVID-19 updates below.
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Respectfully yours in public service,
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Dan Storck
Supervisor, Mount Vernon District
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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Latest County COVID-19 News Links
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NOTE: Only those topics that are
new since my last newsletter are updated below. For
information sent in previous emails
visit our website
. If you know someone who
would like to
sign up for my newsletter, they can do so
here.
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COVID-19 Dashboard
In Fairfax County, our response to COVID-19 is
informed by data and science. The Health Department has now
expanded the data it releases to the public about cases of COVID-19. The
COVID-19 dashboard breaks down case information by
combined zip code, age group and race. It also includes the
trajectory of cases and the County’s
epidemic curve by new cases per week. County residents deserve
transparency in how their local government is responding to this epidemic. Identifying COVID-19 cases by race, gender, age and combined zip code is
crucial to our efforts.
County MicroLoan Program
Fairfax County has established a
$2.5 Million fund to support small business recovery. Along with the Federal SBA loans and grants, the
Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Fund
and associated counseling will help our business community with needed relief. Loans from the Fund will be made to
eligible businesses in amounts up to $20,000 at 0% interest that can be used for
critical operating expenses to offset some of the impacts of the shutdown.
Loan counselors administering this loan program will work with business owners to i
dentify and apply for optimal federal or local assistance.
Applications open today
, April 28 and close at midnight on April 30.
Do NOT Drink Bleach
- Drinking bleach or other cleaning products will NOT kill the virus inside your body.
- There is no product you can swallow to prevent a virus from attacking your cells once it is in your body. Swallowing cleaning products could result in serious illness or injury.
- Cleaning products should be used to clean frequently touched surfaces.
- Read more on the County's COVID-19 Rumor Control.
Update from Governor Northam
Governor Northam announced
initial guidance for re-opening Virginia. Please note these are simply criteria for re-opening, he
did not announce the re-opening of the Commonwealth.
- The first phase would be an easing of restrictions and the re-opening of some non-essential businesses.
- This would require a downward trend of positive tests for over 14 days, downward trend of hospitalizations, increased capacity for both testing and contact testing, sufficient hospital beds and ICU capacity, and a sustained supply of personal protective equipment.
- This has not been directed yet, again it is a plan to move forward.
The General Assembly
did not approve moving local May 5 elections to November, so by Executive Order the Governor
moved elections to May 19. In Fairfax County these elections are
only taking place in the
towns of Vienna and Clifton.
Update from Health and Human Services
- Neighborhood Health, Health Works, Community Health Centers, and Inova's Partnership for Health Communities, continue to provide health care and some COVID-19 testing for those without insurance. Learn more...
- The Department of Housing and Community Development has waived over $13,000 in fees for late rental payments for renters in Fairfax County owned affordable housing units.
Resources for Distance Learning
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Other News
- The Fairfax County Communities of Trust is sponsoring a drive to collect needed personal hygiene products and household cleaners to families and individuals facing hardship. Collection boxes are being placed at all 8 Fairfax County District Police stations. The items will be picked up and distributed to local food pantries near the stations.
Additional Resources
Fairfax County Health Department
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Congressional Art Competition Entry Dates Extended
Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a
nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and
encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the
Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Students submit entries to
their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Winners are
recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The
winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.
- Congressman Beyer's District has extended this year's entry deadline to May 29. Read more...
- Congressman Connolly's District has extended this year's entry deadline to May 8. Read more...
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Mount Vernon District Office | 703-780-7518
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